


Can't These Days Hold Fast (We're Not The Only Ones To Ask)

by noblet



Category: Fake News RPF, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (TV)
Genre: Kissing, M/M, Secret Relationship, Wifeless AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-26 23:03:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7593814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noblet/pseuds/noblet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Jon and Stephen have the kind of relationship where he could literally wake up one morning and call Stephen and say, "I want to do this," and we'll do it. - Executive Producer Chris Licht</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't These Days Hold Fast (We're Not The Only Ones To Ask)

**Author's Note:**

> Written right after [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fmmLZwc_g4%20) happened yesturday.  
> Title is a lyric from the song Afterglow by The Crookes.  
> Fic takes place 30 minutes before Stephen's second live show during DNC week.

There's always an air of gaiety that surrounds Stephen. It's endearing, Jon thinks, the way it manifests itself in everyone he meets and sticks with them for the rest of the night. Stephen knows this most of all, and when he walks into the greenroom Jon makes it a point to mention that he could sense the _joie de vivre_ from a mile away.

"I could sense you sensing me," Stephen plays along, adjusting his glasses. (Jon can't stop staring at them.) "I knew you'd be in here."

“Where else am I supposed to be?” Jon asks the question like a statement, raising a brow and walking to meet him in the middle of the room.

“Backstage maybe?” Stephen offers, gesturing to his watch. “It’s 11:50.” Jon looks down at his own and sees he's right.

 _Is it really that late? Did they really get pushed back again?_ , he thinks. And then, _Where does the time go?_ He of all people should know best.

Jon shakes his head. "I just needed a quiet place to edit this." He raises three sheets of monologue in the air and lets them flutter to the floor in an act of defeat. “The shit I do for you. Got me working one hour a week,” he quips, and Stephen laughs.

Jon's tired. He's always tired. With all these live shows, he's certain Stephen's tired, too. “You did great last night, by the way,” he says absentmindedly.

Stephen’s countenance shifts from animated to that of a guilty puppy. He exchanges his weight from one leg to another, left, right, left, right, teetering uneasily. “Daniels is on tonight,” he says, and Jon can hear the band kicking up in the hall.

“You’re afraid he’s going to-”

“He’s going to continue the streak, Jon!” Stephen laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “We all know I’m the most irresistible sentient being on Late Night but they should at least give me a warning first!” He says, voice high-pitched by the time he finishes the sentence.

 _Sentient?_ Jon thinks but doesn't ask. Stephen would probably say something about how Conan has been a robot in disguise this entire time, and he doesn't need to experience _that_ conversation again.

“In Allison’s defense, the interview _was_  getting a bit dry,” Jon shrugs.

Stephen groans. “You watched?”

“Of course I did. It's my job.” Stephen rolls his eyes and gives him a look as Jon fiddles with his watch. “Okay, I just happened to watch last night’s episode but I can tell you it was quality."

Stephen’s looking at him differently now. The room is still, like the calm before a storm, but there is no storm, and there's just Stephen, standing in front of him and he's certainly not a disaster. At least Jon hopes he’s not.

He licks his dry lips. “Are you worried he’s going to kiss you again?” Jon pipes up.

“Well, not _worried_ ,” Stephen starts, putting on an expression of faux thoughtfulness. He crosses his arms and taps a finger to his chin for full effect. "I can't say there was tongue last night, but nobody can prove it since the angle wasn't good and..."

“You know, if you keep on kissing your guests I might get jealous,” Jon blurts out.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid_ , Jon thinks.

“Oh?” Stephen says, and Jon’s heart races.

They’ve kissed before, but that was back in their Daily Show days, back when he could stay up late into the night without feeling dead in the morning, back when he could say yes to anything Stephen offered, back when they could see each other whenever they wanted without fear of what the public would think, but Jon has long forgotten the feeling of Stephen’s lips on his (he’ll never forget the look Stephen gave him after.)

“Yes,” Jon says lifting his head, inching closer through tiny, shuffling steps. Stephen's instinctively leaning into him, a smug grin on his face. He can practically _hear_ his own heart beat.

Stephen smiles with his eyes, swoops in and Jon finds he kisses the way he runs his show. (With intention, with clarity, with, with…)

Jon finds a good knot of hair to grasp and Stephen has his hand on Jon’s hips. (Not birthing like his, but just as good.) The papers are back on the floor again, (Jon’s not thinking about them anymore.)

Stephen begins to smile after a while, Jon can tell by the way their lips aren’t locking together that well, and he begins to smile himself. “What?” Jon murmurs, red-faced after they part for a split second.

“I hate that fucking beard,” Stephen says, lips slick, and he pulls him in again.

He misses this (late nights, dark rooms, forgotten tasks). But it's different now, (time passes whether you want it to or not), and Jon’s got an iron grip on Stephen’s tie when a producer walks in without fanfare.

"Stephen, we're going live in fi- Shit. Sorry," Paul announces before using his clipboard to cover his face. "Five minutes," he reminds them before turning to leave.

“You're going to explain that one to him,” Jon says after the fact, smoothing Stephen’s hair down as best he can.

“Oh. Sure.”

“Are you still nervous?” Jon asks while Stephen stands in the mirror re-adjusting his tie. He picks up the script and squares them on his knees.

“Nope,” he smiles. “You know maybe later we should-”

“Calm down,” Jon laughs, and Stephen shrugs.

“Worth a shot. I guess it's time for us to go.” Stephen finishes fixing his tie and opens the door. Jon follows.

“You’re going to kill it out there," he says.

Stephen kisses him one more time before they head backstage. "I know."

**Author's Note:**

> Free... sandwich... after... ten.


End file.
